Wikipedia:Main Page history/2017 December 13

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From today's featured article

Nights: Journey of Dreams is an action video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Wii. The sequel to the 1996 Sega Saturn title Nights into Dreams, it was first released in Japan, on 13 December 2007, followed by North America, Australia and Europe. The story follows two children, Will and Helen, who enter a dream world called Nightopia. When their nightmares come to life, they enlist the flying character Nights to help them stop the evil ruler Wizeman from escaping into the real world. The main objective of the game is to fly through rings while gathering keys to access new levels. The game's setting was designed to resemble England, especially parts of London. Development of Journey of Dreams began shortly after the release of Shadow the Hedgehog in 2005, and was headed by Sonic Team veteran Takashi Iizuka. The game received mixed reviews; critics praised its colourful visuals, boss battles and special effects, but most cited its poor control schemes, aesthetics and general gameplay as major flaws. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

... that on the day Horace P. Belknap was interred in 1936, National Guard inductions were suspended in Central Oregon because all the local medical examiners were attending his funeral?
... that little yellow ant colonies raise the larvae of agricultural pests, including aphids, in their own nest?
... that Indian independence activist Duvvuri Subbamma was married at the age of ten?
... that Colombian footballer Luis Muriel became Sevilla's most expensive-ever signing when he joined the club for a reported fee of €20 million?
... that the exotic metal lutetium-176 decays to the heavy metal hafnium, so it can be used to date ancient rocks?
... that the owners of Code Blue, the Professional Bull Riders' 2009 World Champion bucking bull, fed him waffles?

In the news

Haider al-Abadi

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (pictured) declares victory against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, after capturing the group's remaining territory in the country.
The Parliament of Australia passes legislation to allow same-sex marriage.
Halszkaraptor, a duck-like dinosaur genus thought to have been semiaquatic, is described from a Mongolian fossil.
U.S. President Donald Trump announces that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

On this day...

December 13: First day of Hanukkah (Judaism, 2017)

William Waller

1643 – First English Civil War: Roundhead forces serving under Sir William Waller (pictured) led a successful surprise attack on a winter garrison of Royalist infantry and cavalry.
1769 – Dartmouth College in what is now Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S., was established by a royal charter and became the last university founded in the Thirteen Colonies before the American Revolution.
1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces captured Nanking in China and then began to commit numerous atrocities over the next several weeks.
1982 – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake in North Yemen killed as many as 2,800 people and was the region's first instrumentally recorded event to be detected on global seismograph networks.

Samuel Johnson (d. 1784) · Emily Carr (b. 1871) · Taylor Swift (b. 1989)

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Today's featured picture

A Daruma doll (Japanese: 達磨) is a hollow, round, traditional Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting a bearded man (Dharma), vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. Though considered an omocha, meaning toy, by some, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. They are seen as symbols of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement.

Photograph: Chris Woodrich

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